You're In my Veins And I Cannot Get You Out
by ThePeetaBread
Summary: Hermione was rather simple in comparison. She didn't make Quinn watch muggle movie musicals or declare Tuesday's as Celestina Warbeck Appreciation day. Really, did it matter that her heart ached for Rachel's touch, Rachel's kiss, Rachel's love?. Faberry.
1. Prologue

**Title**: You're In My Veins (And I Cannot Get You Out) / Prologue

**Word Count**: 1,919

**Rating: **PG

**Summary**: Hermione was rather simple in comparison. She didn't make Quinn watch muggle 'movie-musicals' or declare Tuesday's as 'Celestina Warbeck Appreciation day'. Really, what did it matter that her heart ached for Rachel's touch, Rachel's kiss, Rachel's love. What the hell did her heart know, anyway? AU, Harry Potter/Glee crossover.

Pairing/s: Rachel/Quinn, Hermione/Quinn with a dash of Brittany/Santana and Hermione/Ron

**A/N**: Okay, I've wanted to do a Glee/HP crossover for a while now and so I thought I'd give it a shot. To understand this story you won't have to know too much about HP but it would be beneficial if you have read the series/watched the movies. I will be integrating the characters from HP and Glee and I might post some of the terminology for those who don't know the basics of Harry Potter. Also, there's not much insight into the plot because really, this is a prologue and there is so much back story to cover so I hope you can bear with me for the time being. Unbetaed so please forgive and point out any mistakes. Title inspired by Andrew Belle's 'In My Veins' (Beautiful song, seriously, go listen to it) Anyway, forward we go! Enjoy!

**Prologue**

She was eleven, like the rest of them, when she got her letter from Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. She remembered the excitement of the parchment listing her school supplies in her hand, traipsing down Diagon Alley with her father, his hand firm on her shoulder. Her Grandfather's warm smile as he had planted her on his lap and recalled ancient memories of Hogwarts; winning the Inter-house cup for Slytherin in his third year with a particularly tricky catch of the snitch – the highlight of his career as the Slytherin seeker. He told her about the Headmaster of the time, Professor Dippet and the Mudblood killing from the chamber of secrets. "Should've killed the lot of them" Edward Fabray growled, "That was the right idea!"

Quinn had glanced up curiously at her Grandfather's crinkled face, his eyes set in a furious kind of passion, "You see this Quinn?" He had asked, holding out his index finger, "This ring has been in our family for as long our line goes"

She had gazed at the black-stoned ring, indented with the Fabray family crest, "It's proof!" He said proudly, "Proof that we are the descendents of one of the oldest pureblood wizarding families left in circulation"

He nudged her gently, moving closer to whisper into her ear, "It'll be yours someday" He murmured, flashing her a withering, crooked smile, "Don't tell your sister, but you've always been my favorite…"

Quinn glanced quickly to where her sister Meredith was sitting, and judging by the look on her face, she had most definitely heard what her Grandfather had just said.

Perhaps it had been out of pure jealousy that Meredith Fabray had completely ditched her on her first ever ride on the Hogwarts express, dressed in her brand new set of witch robes and a trunk larger than her body, feeling smaller than anything as te older students around her settled off into compartments with their friends.

After Meredith had disappeared amongst the crowd, feeling slightly resentful, Quinn began scouring the train for an empty compartment, lugging her suitcase behind her in heavy tugs.

It wasn't her fault that their Grandfather favored her, she scowled as she remembered his only words to Meredith that night, "You look after Quinnie Meredith. She's going to take that school by storm" Meredith had nodded with obvious distaste and ignored her for the rest of the summer, with absolutely no intent of looking after Quinn at all.

Quinn had cursed under her breath as she checked the last of the cabins, all of them full… except for…, "Excuse me" Startled, a girl with dark brown waves of hair looked up from her book, her brown eyes locking with Quinn's, "Can I sit in here? It's just… there's no room—"

"Of course" The girl cut her off promptly, shuffling her stack of books over, "Please, sit"

With a grateful smile, Quinn hauled her luggage into the cabin and plopped onto the seat opposite the brown-eyed girl, who was now eyeing her curiously, "I'm Quinn" She started, thinking she should probably be a little friendly if they were going to share the same compartment for the long train ride.

"Rachel" The girl smiled gently. Quinn's eyes skimmed over the book Rachel was clutching onto, knitting her eyebrows as she read the name at the top of the page, "Who's Barbra Streisand?" She blurted out suddenly, only to be met by Rachel's shell-shocked gaze.

"You haven't heard of Barbra?" Rachel squeaked, clutching the book to her chest. Slowly, Quinn shook her head, trying to remember anything her Grandfather might have told her about past Headmaster's of Hogwarts, previous Minister's for Magic. Barbra Streisand didn't ring a bell.

Suddenly Rachel was off, talking at lightning speed about singing and Grammy awards and influential Jewish icons and Quinn's mind was whirling, she had never heard anybody talk at such pace about matters that Quinn had never heard of before, what on earth was a grammy award? She couldn't even decipher half of what Rachel was talking about at such speed, let alone try and understand it.

When Rachel finished, her face flushed, Quinn didn't push the matter further, simply ending the conversation with a "Er… right"

She had been relieved when the Cabin door rolled open, effectively stopping what looked like another long-winded Rachel speech.

"Can I sit in here with you?" A girl with long blonde hair and twinkling blue eyes stood at the door, her hand tightly grasped on the handle of her suitcase. Rachel beamed and nodded quickly, muttering happily about 'the more, the merrier' and piled her stack of Barbra Streisand books to the floor, allowing the new girl to sit down next to her.

"I'm Brittany" The girl said, "Brittany S. Pierce"

Rachel's hands clapped down onto her knees, the resulting slap making both Quinn and Brittany jump, "You're not related to Albion Pierce are you? The famous dragon tamer?"

"He's my uncle" Brittany replied with a tilt of her head, "He lost three of his fingers in a battle with a Hungarian Horntail once. He keeps them in a jar above his fireplace"

Quinn blinked and Rachel tapped her hands excitedly, "I read all about him in 'Famous Wizards of the 20th century'. What an exciting occurrence! To think what my dads' will say when I tell them…" She drifted off thoughtfully, "Although they haven't quite grasped the concept of 'Owl delivery 'quite yet"

Quinn stared at her incredulously. Seriously? Who in the magical world didn't 'grasp the concept' of owls? Unless… "Are you a muggle-born?" It was out of her mouth before she knew she'd said it, though Rachel didn't seem to mind her bluntness, "Why yes Quinn. Yes I am"

"My mom's a muggle" Brittany said happily, "My dad's a wizard. That makes me a half-blood"

A flash of uncertainty crossed Quinn's face as she imagined her Grandfather's reaction to her sitting in a carriage with a half-blood and a muggle-born. Her thought process was broken, however, when the door swung open again, this time reveling a young Latina, who pushed her way in and took a seat next to Quinn, not bothering to ask for permission.

Rachel looked slightly bewildered and the Latina shoved her case under the seats, mumbling something about no room anywhere else. "Um, Hello" Rachel tried timidly, "My name's Rachel. Rachel Berry"

The Latina stared at her, "What the hell are you wearing?"

The question was only slightly out of place, Quinn mused as she glanced down at Rachel's attire; a red sweatshirt with a knitting of a cat across the chest, a tiny skirt and white stockings. How had she not seen it the minute she walked in? Of course Rachel was a muggle-born. No self-respecting Witch would be caught dead in that outfit.

Rachel looked slightly affronted and smoothed out her sweatshirt, "My everyday clothes. Before I change into my robes"

The girl snorted, eyeing her with distaste, "I hope that's going to be sooner rather than later"

Looking thoroughly offended, Rachel crossed her arms and huffed. Brittany, however, looked at her with sudden interest, "You're really hot"

Quinn raised her eyebrows, "Thanks," The Latina said, eyeing Brittany up and down, "You're pretty hot too"

"My name's Brittany" Brittany declared, bouncing in her seat.

"Lopez. Santana Lopez"

And just like that, the two turned to each other to chat, becoming best friends in a matter of minutes. Quinn stared, completely taken aback as they giggled, grasping onto each other's hands like they'd known each other all their lives.

"So…" Quinn started awkwardly as Brittany and Santana burst into eruption's of giggles in their corner, "Rachel… do you uh… know what house you're going to be in?"

Rachel perked up at the question, launching into a small monologue that weighed the differences of the four Hogwarts houses animatedly, "Well I mean, there's Hufflepuff of course, but I've always thought I'd be more inclined towards Gryffindor if I had to choose… I mean, Hufflepuff accepts 'the rest' doesn't it? Of course, I mean no offence to any Hufflepuff's – I've read about some very successful ones, and I'm told their loyalty is astounding. Although I wouldn't mind Ravenclaw,… but I'm not sure if I'm clever enough…"

"You seem pretty smart to me" Quinn offered truthfully and Rachel beamed.

"What about you?" Rachel asked, "What house might you been in?"

Quinn almost laughed. There was really no question, "I'll be in Slytherin" She answered half-heartedly. Rachel frowned, "But how do you know?"

"My whole family was in Slytherin" She said glumly, remembered her Grandfather's speech on pure-bloods, "Every Fabray that's ever been through Hogwarts was in Slytherin"

Rachel nodded thoughtfully, "I can see the logic there" She said, "Do you want to be in Slytherin?"

Quinn frowned, "Does it matter?"

"Of course it matters, Quinn" Rachel said gently, "Your families destinies aren't your own, you know. Look at me. My father's are doctors… and I'm on my way to a school of magic"

"Fathers?" Quinn questioned, "Doctors?"

"I have two gay dads'" Rachel said simply, "And doctors fix people. Like, if they break a bone or… catch a disease"

Quinn nodded slowly. The idea of Rachel's two fathers' didn't worry her; her family didn't discriminate against homosexuality, they only seemed to care about the purity of one's blood. It was the doctor part that freaked her out.

"What house do you want to be in?" Rachel asked softly, staring at her through inquisitive, brown eyes. Quinn paused, lost in her own thought.

"Ravenclaw" She said finally, looking up to meet Rachel's eyes, "I think I would do well there"

Rachel smiled as Quinn processed her own revelation. She did think she would be better suited to Ravenclaw than Slytherin. From what she'd heard, Slytherin's were cunning and slippery, like her father and her grandfather. But Ravenclaw's were smart, witty… she pictured herself in robes that were lined with blue instead of green, the Ravenclaw emblem stamped across her chest proudly. She smiled inwardly at the thought.

"You should follow your heart Quinn" Rachel told her sincerely, "It'll lead you places your family can't"

Edward Fabray's weathered face warily popped into the back of her mind, rattling on about pure-bloods and mud-bloods, about the Fabray family honor and his lectures on her 'blood royalty'. She squashed him out in favor for the pretty girl smiling across from her.

Later, that night when the train had arrived and the students were packed in the great hall, Quinn sat nervously upon the barstool with the sorting hat clamped over her head and past her eyes.

She remembered Rachel's words and her heart hammered as the sorting hat mumbled into her ear. Ravenclaw, she thought with a sudden conviction. I belong in Ravenclaw.

The Ravenclaw table had erupted into cheers as the hat announced its newest member, but Quinn ignored them, scanning the Gryffindor table for Rachel Berry's face. Rachel's smile beamed like a beacon and Quinn grinned right back, before making her way towards the Ravenclaw table, catching the look of disbelief on her sister's face. She could imagine the owl she was going to receive in the morning, probably a howler, but she wouldn't let it phase her – she could still honor the Fabray family name from Ravenclaw, right? She caught Rachel's eye again and felt the worry slip away from her. She was happy, independent… smiling stupidly across two tables at her first Hogwarts friend. She was following her heart.


	2. Chapter One

Title: You're In My Veins (And I Cannot Get You Out) (1/15)  
>Word Count: 2,380<br>Rating: PG  
>Summary:AU. Hermione was rather simple in comparison. She didn't make Quinn watch muggle 'movie-musicals' or declare Tuesday's as 'Celestina Warbeck Appreciation day'. Really, what did it matter that her heart ached for Rachel's <em>touch<em>, Rachel's _kiss_, Rachel's _love_. What the hell did her heart know, anyway?

Pairing/s: Rachel/Quinn, Hermione/Quinn with a dash of Brittany/Santana  
>AN: Phew. Okay, even with this chapter I've barely touched the storyline so again, this is backstory needed for the plot. This chapter kind of skips quickly over their fourth and fifth year but the story will be set in their sixth year, also around the events of the sixth Harry Potter novel and will stay there starting around the next chapter. Also, please forgive any spelling/grammatical errors as unbeated. Anyway, enough from me. I hope you enjoy chapter one!

**Chapter 1**

Somewhere into their fourth year, Rachel and Quinn became Rachel-and-Quinn, a kiss shared so sweetly over a mug of frothing butterbeer that took them both by surprise; not to mention the rest of the students that were at the 'Three Broomsticks' bar in Hogsmade.

It's wasn't _that_ different from being best friends, except for the kissing; Quinn enjoyed the kissing. She still ate breakfast with the Ravenclaws and rushed off to her morning classes half asleep and with a mouthful of strawberry-jam toast. She still spent the morning break outside by the lake with Rachel, except instead of talking about homework assignments and boys that neither one of them were really interested in, they spent the time shoving their tongues down each other's throats. They learned to block out the cat-calls.

The classes that Quinn shared with Rachel – Charms, Potions and Transfiguration – were spent clutching onto Rachel's hand underneath the table no matter what they were required to do for the lesson much to Professor McGonagall's annoyance.

Sometimes they would meet Santana and Brittany; the library was really the only place they could hang out inside the castle, each one of them belonging to a different house. Santana had been sorted into Slytherin and Brittany into Hufflepuff, yet still as inseparable as the day they had meet on the Hogwarts Express.

"You two are sickening" Santana would sneer as Rachel cuddled into Quinn's side, nuzzling her neck and effectively stopping her reading, "Seriously, get a room"

Quinn never bothered with a retort; Brittany would usually interject with a comment that made Santana's dark skin blush a fiery shade of pink: "But San, you love it when we snuggle. You say you feel safest in my arms"

Quinn would smirk until Santana threatened her with a Bat Bogey Hex (Santana's were the best, as she had demonstrated many times on the irritating Hufflepuff Zacharias Smith) and she'd hastily go back to reading, her fingers tangled with Rachel's.

Quinn spent the summer at home with her family, dodging questions about school life and her friends – her relationship with Rachel was only a few months old, why announce it? Her owl (Jeremiah) grew exhausted quickly after non-stop trips to fly Quinn's letters to Rachel and point blank refused to travel anymore, settling himself in his cage and nipping her with his beak if she tried to coax him out.

"Fine then" She said angrily, clutching her bleeding fingers, "Do nothing. Be a useless lump"

Jeremiah ignored her for the rest of the summer.

Their fourth year became their fifth and the stress of their upcoming OWL examinations had almost every fifth year up the wall, visibly insane. Their first fight came with the flinging of an extremely large Charms textbook that had narrowly missed Quinn's head, accompanied by Rachel's shouts that echoed through the corridors, "I saw you Quinn! I saw you _staring_ at her!"

Quinn, who had no idea who Rachel was even talking about, angered quickly at the accusations, "Rachel, I don't even know what you're talking about! Could you just calm your crazy for like, five minutes?"

"Hermione Granger!" Rachel screeched, her eyes burning, "In Transfiguration you ogled her for half the lesson!"

"She was talking!" Quinn shouted in defense, "It's rude not to look at someone when they're speaking to you"

But Rachel couldn't be reasoned with. She stormed out of the library leaving Quinn by herself and didn't talk to her for three days straight, going as far as completely switching tables in the classes she shared with Quinn and ignoring her when they were partnered together. She even got Brittany on her side, to Santana's horror and it wasn't long before Brittany was refusing to speak to her as well.

"Fabray!" Santana had hissed, slamming her hands down on Quinn's table, "I don't know what the hell you did to Berry, but you need to fix it, right now"

"It's none of your business Santana" Quinn snapped, "Butt out"

"Because of you, Brittany isn't talking to me" Santana seethed, "All because Berry's so butt hurt over something _you_ did and now she's going on to Britt about how they deserve to be treated better"

"Well maybe she has a point" Quinn said hotly, "Maybe you do need to start treating Brittany a little better. God knows if you really loved her you wouldn't be sleazing around with half of the school"

About an hour later, after Madam Pomfrey had reversed the effects of Santana's bat bogey hex, Quinn found herself wandering past the Gryffindor common room, ready to suck up her pride and apologize. She hadn't really done anything wrong; Hermione was pretty but Quinn really had just been listening, but she missed her girlfriend and if admitting defeat meant Rachel would forgive her, she would happily go along with it.

She waited outside the Fat Lady portrait patiently for a Gryffindor student to arrive, sighing in relief when she saw Neville Longbottom trudging up the stairs, "Neville! Listen, can you do me a favor? I really need to talk to Rachel—"

Neville smiled at her, "Sure Quinn, hang on" His eyebrows creased in concentration as he tried to recall the password, then muttered it quietly and disappearing into the common room.

Rachel came out with her arms folded, her eyebrows creased and her eyes hardened as if closed off to anything Quinn had to say.

Quinn sighed, running her hand through her long, blonde hair, "Look Rach, I'm sorry. I'm sorry if I hurt your feelings" Rachel's demeanor softened, her hands dropping to rest at her side, "I know you think I was staring at Hermione but I promise you, the only girl I'm _ever_ staring at is you"

"So… you don't have romantic feelings for Hermione Granger?" Rachel asked self-consciously.

"_No_" Quinn said, "I'm in love with you, Rach. Only you"

Rachel's lips curled into a small smile and she grasped the sides of Quinn's face and pulled her in for a searing kiss. Quinn considered herself forgiven.

She recounted the details of her first time with Rachel a week later to an eager Brittany, ignoring Santana who was pretending to vomit into her History of Magic textbook.

"We decided we go down and find that room last night… you know, the room of requirement – where we went last year for the DA meetings with Harry Potter"

Brittany nodded quickly.

"There was a bed" Quinn recalled breathlessly, "Huge and sprinkled with rose petals. And a fireplace with our initials engraved on the mantel. I thought that was kind of cheesy but Rach loved it—"

"I'll bet" Santana deadpanned.

Her high seemed to last for the entire month, the rest of her peers struggling with the weight of homework that was put upon them but Quinn hardly found time to care; she was giddy, finding herself more in love with Rachel as each day passed. It wasn't too long though, before the persistent harassment courtesy of her dear cousin Draco started to get her down.

"Can you imagine what your father would say if he knew what you were doing?" Draco hissed at her across the Ravenclaw table, shoving a frightened second-year out of her seat, "Dating a Gryffindor's bad enough. But a mudblood!"

"Don't call her that!" Quinn said angrily, slamming her fork down onto the table and spraying fried egg everywhere.

"He'd disown you" Draco sneered, his pale white hair gleaming under the ceiling of the great hall, "Do you really want to be a blood traitor?"

It had been an issue Quinn had struggled with since her very first day. Her family hated muggle-borns; she remembered the way her father had spoke of them when she was younger, his voice so full of venom. She knew Draco was right. She would be disowned, labeled as a blood-traitor for falling in love with a muggle-born… but only _if _they knew.

And it was decided. What her family didn't know wouldn't hurt them; it wasn't like Quinn was getting married, she was in school, many, many miles away from her family. There was no reason she should tell them.

She ignored Draco and his constant whispers of her pure-blood family and focused on Rachel and passing her OWL's. And maybe Rachel a little bit more.

Until the day Rachel brought up the question Quinn had been willing to leave unanswered, "When are you going to tell your parents about us?"

They were in the room of requirement, naked and curled into each other after an hour of frenzied love-making. Quinn stiffened at Rachel's question, sitting up rather abruptly.

"Rachel, you know what my family's like" She said, reaching out for her robes. She really didn't want to have this conversation.

Rachel followed suit, rising up to sit, "Yes Quinn. Your family is one of the oldest, pure-blood wizarding families there is" She said, "I understand that"

"Then you'll understand why I can't tell them" Quinn said shortly, pulling on her robes.

Rachel stared at her, her face contorting into what looked like disbelief, "So that's it. You're not going to tell them about us. At all?"

"Rachel, if they knew I was dating a muggle-born… they—well, they wouldn't react very kindly" Quinn said, slightly agitated.

"So I'm just your dirty little secret then?" Rachel asked with a lingering resentment.

Quinn almost laughed, "Secret? Rach, the entire school pretty much knows we're together"

"But you won't tell your parents"

"Rachel—"

"Because you're ashamed of me—"

"Rachel, stop it!" Quinn said, "I'm not ashamed of you—"

"You're ashamed of me Quinn! You're ashamed that I'm a muggle-born all because your family has some stupid prejudice—"

"Rachel, you have no idea what it's like to grow up in a family like mine" Quinn growled, "Everything I do, every move I make my family is judging me, just waiting for me to step over the line"

"_You_ are not like them Quinn!" Rachel said, her eyes filled with earnest, "You're different, _special_. The only Ravenclaw in a family full of Slytherins. I thought that you didn't care what they thought of you"

"They're still my family, Rachel" Quinn said angrily, "The people that raised me. Their opinion still matters to me"

"Are their opinions still valid when they go around calling people like me mudbloods? Filth? Scum of the wizarding world?" Rachel asked, her voice shaking.

"Don't use that word" Quinn said sharply.

"Why not?" Rachel cocked her head, tears brimming in her eyes, "Doesn't your daddy dearest use it? Isn't that what he calls us?"

"Rachel—"

"I need you to tell them" Rachel said suddenly, clasping at the bed sheets, "If you love me, then you'll let your family know"

Quinn stared at her, her heart hammering in a steady rhythm, somewhere between exasperated and anxious at Rachel's impossible request. Finally she spoke, her voice hollow, "Rachel, you know I can't..."

The heat from the fireplace swirled inside the tiny room and Quinn struggled to breathe through the intense gaze Rachel seemed unwilling to break.

"_Please_" It came out as crackled and desperate, Rachel's chocolate eyes searching within her own for some sort comfort.

She almost gave in, never hearing Rachel Berry so vulnerable, waiting to be scooped up and reassured. But a flicker of her Grandfather's proud face came to mind, his disappointment that she had betrayed everything he had ever taught her. She imagined him kicking her out, disowning her. And her answer was clear.

"No"

The very next day, as whispers circulated about Rachel Berry's tear-stained face and Quinn's unwavering, rather stoic one, the rumors became reality. Rachel Berry and Quinn Fabray had broken up.

Quinn finished her OWL's with an impressive indifference and went home for the summer holidays feeling empty and useless; she had broken Rachel's heart and her own in the process, clutching to the principles of her family line. Rachel was a muggle-born. Her father would have had a seizure if he knew.

Her sixth year started as she had expected it; avoiding Rachel at all costs, which wasn't too hard seeing as Rachel had adopted the same plan. She moved out of her usual seat next to Rachel in all of her classes she shared with the Gryffindors – funnily enough, the only seat left to take in all three of the Ravenclaw-Gryffindor lessons, was a seat next to Hermione Granger.

She had lost Rachel, and in the process Brittany and Santana too. Lonely and miserable, Hermione had been somebody that Quinn had been happy to make friends with, her best friends no longer spoke to her and it wasn't as if she'd made much of an effort with any of the other Ravenclaws. She'd been too busy occupying herself with Rachel.

She was glad to find that she and Hermione shared a lot in common; both at the top of their classes with a mutual thirst for knowledge. She had talked to Hermione Granger before, been a member of the club, 'Dumbledore's Army' Hermione had been involved in the previous year.

And so six months after Rachel had ended their relationship, she found herself standing in front of Hermione Granger like a babbling fool, asking her (or trying) if she'd like to go to Hogsmade with Quinn. On a date (As Quinn clarified no less than six times).

And Hermione Granger became her girlfriend.

Hermione was rather simple in comparison to Rachel. She didn't make Quinn watch muggle 'movie-musicals' or declare Tuesday's as 'Celestina Warbeck Appreciation day'. She was relieved to discover that Hermione dressed like a normal person when she wasn't in her robes, after suffering from numerous outings with Rachel and her infamous owl sweater collection, _'Look Quinnie, an owl for everyday'._

Hermione was good for her, she decided. It was easy, relaxed. Hermione wasn't low maintenance, but she didn't push for romance like Rachel did. She hadn't been going out with Hermione for long, but she was sure that Hermione wouldn't make her choose between their relationship and her family, she told herself when she caught a glimpse of Rachel and was feeling particularly bitter.

What did it matter that her heart still ached for Rachel's _touch_, Rachel's _kiss_, Rachel's _love_. What the hell did her heart know, anyway?


	3. Chapter Two

Title: You're In My Veins (And I Cannot Get You Out) (2/15)  
>Word Count: 1,164<br>Rating: PG  
>Summary:AU. Hermione was rather simple in comparison. She didn't make Quinn watch muggle 'movie-musicals' or declare Tuesday's as 'Celestina Warbeck Appreciation day'. Really, what did it matter that her heart ached for Rachel's <em>touch<em>, Rachel's _kiss_, Rachel's _love_. What the hell did her heart know, anyway?

Pairing/s: Rachel/Quinn, Hermione/Quinn with a dash of Brittany/Santana  
>AN: Still unbetaed. Thank you for all the kind reviews. They do make me smile J

Chapter Two

Whirls of blue and bronze darting back and forth across the Quidditch pitch as the Ravenclaw team warmed up for their first practice of the Quidditch season.

"Alright, team come in!" Roger Davies, their Captain and star Chaser roared. Quinn gripped the handle of her Nimbus 2001 and swooped downwards, joining her team on the ground. Mike and Tina the beaters, Mercedes the keeper, Bradley, Chambers and Captain Roger the Chasers and finally herself, the seeker.

"Mike! Tina!" He yelled at their two beaters, "You need to be swinging those bludgers left, right and center, not making googley eyes at each other across the pitch! Merecedes! Nice work with some of those saves, but remember to watch your leg work. Chasers can and will bluff"

"And Quinn," He said, rounding on her finally, "You haven't caught the snitch once. Where's your head?"

Quinn said nothing, thinking Roger probably wouldn't be too sympathetic towards her girlfriend troubles – ex-girlfriend troubles rather. She glanced towards the stands where Hermione waved at her, wrapped up in a scarf and a pair of woolly mittens. It had been sweet of Hermione to come and watch her, but all it did was remind Quinn of all the times Rachel had sat up there waving at her animatedly since she got her spot as seeker in their third year.

Shooting Hermione a tight smile (that came out as more of a grimace) she turned back to Davies, "Sorry Rodge. I'll try harder this time round"

Roger gave her an affirmative nod and turned to the rest of the Ravenclaw team.

"Again" Roger ordered, climbing onto his broom, "Pick up the pace people, I want some team action!"

They continued to practice for another half hour until it started to snow, and Quinn hadn't improved. She grew frustrated with the tiny, elusive snitch that had twice slipped through her fingers, had Roger yell at her for accidently blocking him twice _and _had almost broken her arm on a rogue bludger.

She sighed in relief with Davies dismissed the team and trudged towards the changing rooms, soaked to the bone and shivering.

Quinn met her outside the showers with a quick kiss and a warm scarf.

"Sorry it took so long" Quinn said gruffly, clutching onto Hermione's hand as they made their way back to the castle, her Nimbus in tow.

"It was no problem" Hermione said brightly, "I managed to get a lot done. My Arithmancy essay isn't due for another week, but at least now it's out of the way…"

"Yeah" Quinn said mechanically. They continued up the stairs to the entrance in silence, Hermione sensing she was in a less than pleasant mood.

"Quidditch doesn't really concern me" Hermione said softly her as they made their way through the entrance hall, "But I can tell you're good with a broom. Harry absolutely adores flying, as does R—" Her voice hitched suddenly and she stopped mid-sentence as though frozen. "Well—anyway you're going to be great at your first game" She finished, squeezing Quinn's bicep for good measure.

"I played like crap tonight" Quinn said glumly, looping an arm around Hermione's waist, "But thanks anyway"

"It was just a bad day" Hermione soothed, "We all have them. Last Tuesday, for example. I was having a particulary back morning and handed in an essay I knew wasn't up to par"

"Didn't you get ninty-three percent for that?" Quinn asked, furrowing her eyebrows.

"Well, yes, but the point is I could have done a lot better, I was just having a bad day"

Quinn suddenly cracked a smile, everything seeming funnier, "You get ninty-three percent on a bad day?" She chortled, "Hardly anybody gets that on a good day"

"Well, maybe it wasn't the best example" Hermione said, slightly flustered as Quinn grinned.

She stopped walking and pulled Hermione closer, until they were huddled in the middle of the seventh floor staircase.

"You're so cute" She murmured, counting the freckles on Hermione's nose, "How is it that you can make my mood disappear in ten seconds flat?" And it had. A few minutes with Hermione and she was feeling ten times better than she had on the Quidditch pitch.

Hermione smiled lightly, bringing her hands to rest on Quinn's shoulder, "I must be magic"

"Har har" Quinn said dryly. Hermione grinned at her own joke and trailed her hands up, until they were on either side of Quinn's cheeks. Her lips met Quinn's in a slow, gentle kiss, pushing herself up on her toes to wrap her arms around Quinn's neck.

Quinn's mind went blank as she felt Hermione's tongue push past her lips and she reached her hands forward, resting her hands on Hermione's ass and squeezing. She heard Hermione's indignant squeak and pulled away to laugh. Her teasing died in her throat however, when she caught sight of the tiny person frozen at the bottom of the stairway.

"Quinn?" Rachel sounded surprised, and Quinn at cursed herself for picking this stairway to spontaneously grope her girlfriend.

Hermione adjusted her robes awkwardly as Rachel stared between them, her face twisting in confusion. Quinn wrenched herself away from Hermione quickly as Rachel looked between them, her face unreadable.

"Hi Rach," Quinn said lamely, trying to sound casual, "What are you doing here?" She immediately regretted her question when she caught sight of the Fat Lady twirling in her portrait. _Oh right_.

Rachel blinked, her hands turning white at the tight grasp on her History of Magic textbooks, "The Gryffindor common room" She gestured, "I was heading up to bed"

Quinn nodded stupidly, shoving her hands in the pockets of her robes. She caught Rachel's eye for a brief moment, and did not miss the flicker of hurt that flashed through them as she eyed Quinn and Hermione's laced fingers. Hastily, Quinn pulled her hand away and cleared her throat, only reminding her of the awkward silence between the three of them.

"Are you coming in or not?" Came the irritated voice of the fat lady from her portrait behind them, "I haven't got all night"

The voice seemed to startle Rachel into moving, and she quickly climbed the remaining stairs to the floor that the portrait was on. Murmuring a quiet 'goodnight', she muttered the Gryffindor password, and slipped into the common room.

Hermione shifted uncomfortably as Quinn looked up at her, obviously completely unsure of what to say. "Goodnight Quinn" She murmured decisively, pressing a quick kiss to her girlfriend's cheek, "I'll see you in the morning" And she too, disappeared into the Gryffindor common room.

Sighing heavily, Quinn climbed the remaining stairs towards the Ravenclaw tower, lost deeply in thought. It always ended like this, Quinn actually starting to be happy with someone else only to be completely brought back down to earth by Rachel Berry and her sad puppy eyes. "I can't catch a break" She moaned quietly.

"Tell me about it" A passing ghost murmured sympathetically.


	4. Chapter Three

**Title**: You're In My Veins (And I Cannot Get You Out)  
><strong>Word Count<strong>: 1,740  
><strong>Rating:<strong> PG  
><strong>Summary<strong>:AU. Hermione was rather simple in comparison. She didn't make Quinn watch muggle 'movie-musicals' or declare Tuesday's as 'Celestina Warbeck Appreciation day'. Really, what did it matter that her heart ached for Rachel's _touch_, Rachel's _kiss_, Rachel's _love_. What the hell did her heart know, anyway?

**Pairing/s**: Rachel/Quinn, Hermione/Quinn with a dash of Brittany/Santana

**A/N:** Eek! Sorry it's been so long since I've updated. The usual excuses I guess… school, work… trying to maintain a social life. Sorry again and I'll try to be better.

* * *

><p><strong>Chapter 3<strong>

Quinn trudged up the stairs to the great hall on Monday morning, her hair tousled and her shoulder aching under the weight of her bag. She'd run into Peeves the Poltergeist (again) and had only managed to stop him throwing her textbooks down the third floor staircase by heavy threats of locating the Bloody Baron. Cursing him silently, she climbed onto a seat on the Ravenclaw table bench and settled her bag between her legs, shooting a smile at one of her dorm mates, Mercedes Jones.

"You're late" Mercedes commented, watching as Quinn piled her breakfast onto her plate.

"Peeves" Quinn muttered, shoving a forkful of bacon into her mouth. She glanced over at the Gryffindor table hoping to catch a glimpse of Hermione but instead took sight of a short brunette, her hair sleek and wavy…

Quinn shook her head. No. She'd decided over the weekend since the awkward encounter on the stairwell that she wouldn't think about Rachel like that anymore. In fact, it was probably best to avoid Rachel at all costs. _It's over_, she told herself, _You have a girlfriend now_. _Focus on her._

Her eyes scoured the Gryffindor table and she sought out Hermione, beaming as she got a small wave and a shy smile from her.

Her smile faltered as she realized she had double defense against the dark arts with the Gryffindors and she quickly dropped her gaze, her heart plummeting. Damn it! Rachel was in that class.

"Hey, earth to Q" Mercedes snapped her fingers in front of her face

"Huh?" Quinn blinked, startled out of her gaze.

"I asked if you'd mastered that Transfiguration spell yet?" Mercedes rattled off, "McGonagall said it had to be done by Thursday and I still can't get the tail right. Do you think she minds if the rat's fur is checkered?"

"I don't know" Quinn interrupted distractedly, "Excuse me"

Mercedes looked haughty as she left the Ravenclaw table, slinging her book sack over her shoulder, her eyes firmly planted to the floor as she passed the Gryffindor table. Rachel's eyes pierced through her as she walked as swiftly as possible to the exit. She left the great hall and stopped once she was outside it, resting against a wall. '_Okay stay calm' _She told herself_, 'It's going to be fine. I don't even sit near her'_

Just directly behind her. Crap.

"Quinn?"

"Hermione!" Quinn jumped, startled.

Hermione smiled lightly and then paused, "Are you okay? You left rather abruptly"

"Fine" Quinn said quickly, "I was just… on my way to Defense against the dark arts"

"Oh" Hermione smiled, "We have it together. I'll walk you down"

Nodding, Quinn took Hermione outstretched hand and followed her down the steps, trying desperately not to run the other way. "Isn't it great that we have it together?" Hermione asked excitedly, as Quinn churned with guilt.

Ron Weasley glared at her through the entire lesson. It made her _very _uncomfortable; she barely knew the guy, what the hell had she done to piss him off? Hermione sat by her side, listening to Snape's instructions with rapt attention while Quinn doodled on her the side of her desk, trying to ignore the daggers Ron was shooting from across the room.

Rachel was sitting up the front, as usual. Like Hermione, she listened intently to everything Snape said, settled comfortably between her fellow Gryffindor's, Kurt Hummel and Blaine Anderson.

On the other side of Quinn, Lavender Brown and Parvati Patel burst into giggles every three or four seconds which irritated Quinn immensely. It was bad enough that she had to sit in the presence of Snape, listening to him go on and on about Dementors while trying to ignore both Ron and Rachel at the same time. Their annoying outburst only added to her growing headache.

"Miss Brown! Miss Patel! Ten points from Gryffindor!" Snape snapped suddenly, "Kindly do your best to _listen_ in my class"

Lavender and Parvati's giggles subsided at once, and Quinn sighed in relief. "_Honestly_" She heard Hermione mutter disapprovingly.

To Quinn's dismay, Snape's lesson plan included the working in pairs of his choosing. Glancing around the room nervously, she caught Ron's eye and turned back to the front quickly. _Please not Ron. Please not Ron._

Her eyes locked upon Rachel's tiny figure and her eyes widened. _Please not Rachel. Please not Rachel._

"Brown and Thomas" Snape drawled, glaring at them as though her expected them to move. They did immediately under his stern gaze. "Anderson and Patel. Hummel and Weasley" Quinn breathed a sigh of relief. One down, one to go.

"Granger and Finnagan" Quinn's shoulders drooped in disappointment as Hermione left her seat to join Seamus. "Berry and Longbottom, Potter and Fabray"

Quinn's stomach did flip flops as Neville Longbottom bustled over to Rachel, his books under his arm. As Snape named the rest of the partners, Harry Potter joined her, smiling nervously.

"Hello"

Quinn smiled warmly, moving her books over to make room for him. She knew Harry Potter as the infamous 'Boy who lived', although he hadn't been very popular within her family. Aside from joining Dumbledore's Army the previous year and knowing he was one of Hermione's best friends, she really knew nothing about him.

"Page 37" Snape called out, "Take notes before seeing me for the practical part of the lesson"

She flipped the page over silently, glancing at Harry as he watched her timidly.

"Hey, you're friends with Ron Weasley, right?" She tried as an icebreaker. Harry nodded, seemingly relieved that the silence was broken, "He's my best friend"

"Do you know why he's staring at me?"

Harry glanced over his shoulder, to meet Ron's angry stare and turned back to her, and apologetic grin on his face. "Don't take it personally" He reassured, "It's nothing you did"

Quinn frowned, "Then why is he glaring at me?"

Harry looked conflicted for a moment and rubbed the back of his neck awkwardly, "Er…"

Quinn turned her focus back to the page, scribbling the first few words onto a blank piece of parchment, "It's okay" She reassured, "I get it. You're best friends. There's like a bro code, right?"

"A bro code?" Harry repeated, "Sure, something like that"

Quinn shot him a small smile and he relaxed, relieved.

A loud smash caught their attention and they saw Snape hovering over Neville as he looked down at his wand, the clear abuser of three broken and smoking glass bowls, "Honestly Longbottom" Snape leered, " Control yourself. Fifteen points from Gryffindor"

"Fifteen?" Cried Harry, outraged, "You could've fixed them in five seconds" The surrounding Gryffindor's murmured alongside him angrily.

"Mr. Potter, I don't remember asking you to advise me on the current course of discipline for my students" Snape said, his eyes flashing.

" Well, since you seem to have trouble with it…" Harry retorted furiously.

"Detention, Potter" Snape hissed, "I will not tolerate _insolence_"

Fuming, Harry backed down as Snape turned to walk back to his desk. "Hold on" Quinn started loudly. The entire class turned around to stare at her and Snape froze, turning slowly back to face her, "It was a bit unfair to dock all those points off Gryffindor, Professor" Rachel looked at her curiously while Hermione's eyes were lit with alarm.

Snape's lip curled as she continued, "I mean it _wa_s only a couple of bowl's, sir"

"Is that so, Miss Fabray?"

Quinn shrugged, "Well… yeah"

"I think," Snape said quietly, "That you will be joining Potter in Detention this Saturday night"

With a flick of his robes, he turned and made his way back to his desk.

"Honestly you two" Hermione said crossly as she dragged both Harry and Quinn out of the chamber when the bell rang, "How hard is it to _hold your tongue_? How long have we known Snape? Has he really, ever been fair? I don't know what you were thinking…"

"Thanks Harry" Neville said quietly from behind Hermione, "And you Quinn. I'm sorry you got into trouble"

"Don't worry about it" Harry said and Quinn nodded.

She felt around for her quill and realized she'd left her bag inside, glancing back to see Snape leaving. "I've got to go back for my bag" She told Hermione quickly, "I'll see you at lunch?" Hermione nodded, obviously still disapproving, and continued down the hallway, scolding Harry in whispers.

Quinn pushed open the door to the classroom and made for her bag, stopping directly in the center of the room as she caught sight of Rachel Berry folding Parchment into her own bag.

Rachel stopped suddenly when she caught sight of Quinn, frozen in the middle of the classroom. Her eyes lingered on Quinn's abandoned bag and her shoulders tensed. Why did she have to dawdle?

Quinn looked to move forward hesitantly, catching Rachel's eye and quickly looking away as a blush creep up her neck. "Hi Rachel" She moved her hand up in a wave, "I left my stuff…" She dropped her hand to her side.

Rachel nodded, clearing her throat and averting her eyes, "Right. Of course"

"I'll just…" She reached forward and snatched up her bag, slinging it over her shoulder. It was unbearably silent again and Quinn shifted on her feet.

"At least I got it now" Quinn tried to lighten the mood, "Can't head off to potions without my tools of knowledge"

Rachel tilted her head and Quinn almost smacked herself. Tools of knowledge? Really?

"I guess I better get to class" She said lamely, "See you later, Rachel"

Her face burning, Quinn turned to exit, only stopped by Rachel's soft voice.

"That was really nice… before… when you stuck up for Neville"

Quinn didn't move, just let Rachel speak, clasping the strap of her bag tightly.

"He can be… clumsy but he's a really nice guy. It was really sweet of you to defend him"

Quinn turned around, catching Rachel's eye and nodding stupidly. "Y-yeah, well… it was really unfair…" She spluttered, "Y'know, what Snape did. It was an honest mistake"

Rachel smiled lightly, "Yeah…"

Another beat of awkward silence. Quinn shuffled on her feet and tugged at her tie uncomfortably. Was it just her or was it really hot in there?

"See ya, Rach" Quinn said softly, offering a small smile.

"Goodbye Quinn"

Quinn turned and left the room, her heart racing and a smile tugging at her lips that didn't relent for the rest of the day.


	5. Chapter Four

**Title:** You're In My Veins (And I Cannot Get You Out)  
><strong>Word Count<strong>: 2,071  
><strong>Rating:<strong> PG  
><strong>Summary<strong>: AU. Hermione was rather simple in comparison. She didn't make Quinn watch muggle 'movie-musicals' or declare Tuesday's as 'Celestina Warbeck Appreciation day'. Really, what did it matter that her heart ached for Rachel's touch, Rachel's kiss, Rachel's love. What the hell did her heart know, anyway?  
><strong>Pairings**: Rachel/Quinn, Hermione/Quinn with a dash of Brittany/Santana  
><strong>AN: **Again, apologies… apparently I'm unreliable. ***hemoshrug*** Enjoy chapter four!

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><p>The first Quidditch match of the season dawned upon Hogwarts quickly; Ravenclaw had been selected to play Slytherin for the first match, a challenge that their Captain Roger Davies hadn't taken lightly.<p>

"Slytherin's dirty!" He had bellowed across the pitch at their last Quidditch practice, "They want to win and they'll stop at nothing to do it. I need you to be aware. Keep your heads high and watch out for any funny business. I wouldn't put anything past that team"

And after a week of intensely vigorous training, the Ravenclaw team were ready to play their first game of the season. Quinn wandered down to the Quidditch pitch, dressed in her Qudditch robes with her broomstick slung over her shoulder. Her stomach was fluttering; Davies' badgering during breakfast hadn't helped the nerves.

A hand on her shoulder startled her out of her thoughts and she turned to see Hermione and Harry shoulder to shoulder, Hermione beaming and Harry shifting awkwardly on his feet. "Hi" Quinn croaked, bringing a hand to massage her neck. Her throat felt like sandpaper.

"Hey" Hermione said cheerfully while Harry threw her a light smile.

She caught sight of a silver and blue scarf wrapped loosely around Hermione's neck and furrowed her eyebrows, "Is that mine?" She asked, fingering the material.

"I might have borrowed it from your bag yesterday" Hermione said with a sheepish smile, "I'm rooting for you" Quinn's heart thudded as Hermione's lips brushed her cheek. She caught Harry's eye as Hermione stepped back and found the corners of her mouth turning upwards as he grinned at her.

"Good luck" He offered and she nodded gratefully. She glanced back towards the pitch, her stomach flipping nervously. Drawing in a deep breath she tried to block out the jeers of the Slytherins hurling insults her way as they made their way to the pitch. Here we go.

* * *

><p>Streaks of blue soared through the air magnificently to the cheers of the Ravenclaw crowd; Quinn grinned happily. There was nothing quite like the feel of being on a Quidditch pitch; the wind in her hair, the feel of her broom gliding beneath her as she reached out her fingers to wrap around the cool, hard casing of the golden snitch…<p>

Her heart elated as she caught sight of Cho Chang and Padma Patil, two of the girls in her dormitory with banners large enough to wrap around Hippogriffs floating above them with her name on them. Her smile faltered as she remembered the 'Team Quinn' banner Rachel used to have stashed away for Quidditch matches like these. Her head whipped around suddenly. Was Rachel here?

She scanned the masses of Gryffindor students, scouring the sea of red and yellow for her tiny ex-girlfriend. Rachel usually sat front and center, decked out in Quinn's old Ravenclaw robes (she was a little too small for the newer set), waving a Ravenclaw flag and a set of banners that read embarrassingly adorable slogans and telling anyone that would listen that the hot Ravenclaw seeker was her girlfriend.

Her heart ached as she saw a group of rowdy Gryffindors had taken Rachel's usual spot. What had she been expecting? She and Rachel weren't together anymore.

She looked a little to the left and caught Hermione's eye, flashing a smile as her girlfriend waved her Ravenclaw scarf proudly. She scanned the Gryffindor crowd quickly for friendly faces, meeting a waving Neville Longbottom and a scowling Ron Weasley. She contemplated scowling back for a few seconds before her eye caught sight of a flash of brown hair. She came. Rachel was at the Quidditch match. She bubbled with joy, a giddy grin spreading across her face before she could contain it.

Deciding against a celebratory lap around the pitch because of the warning glare Davies shot at her, Quinn settled for perching herself on her broom and seeking out Rachel again. There she was… wrapped in her Gryffindor robes with her scarf snuggly around her neck, a beautiful smile lighting her face. Quinn sighed. She was gorgeous.

"Fabray!" She was jolted out of her reverie by an angry looking Davies, "The game's started! Get into it!"

Tearing her eyes away from Rachel she pushed forward on her broom, scanning the pitch for any signs of the snitch. Nothing. Her eyes darted back and forth from each player, the Slytherin seekers Vaisey, Zabini and the captain Urquhart had huddled around a Ravenclaw chaser, Chambers as if trying to pry the quaffle off of him with adverse bullying tactics. Quinn winced as she saw him drop several feet, obviously winded with the quaffle scooped up by Urqhart. Davies had been right about them playing dirty.

She heard erruptions from the Slytherin viewing gallery and turned to see that Slytherin had indeed, scored the first points of the match, Urqhart looking mighty pleased with himself as Mercedes the keeper cursed loudly. Frustrated she turned back to the Gryffindor viewing gallery to catch Rachel's eye. And her heart dropped.

Rachel hadn't moved, still just as tightly wrapped for the winter weather. She was still smiling and laughing, pointing at different players on the pitch as they zoomed before her. But she was no longer alone, her arm wrapped around the bicep of a pretty red-head.

"A Weasley" Quinn growled under her breath. Her grip on her broomstick slackened and she dropped several feet lower before she realized she was plummeting.

"Watch yourself Fabray!" Davies called from behind her.

Was this what Rachel felt when she was with Hermione? Was it this intense, this heartbreaking every time? It was like someone had cast chains around her heart was tugging, mercilessly until it shattered.

Suddenly the pitch starting spinning; she felt sick to her stomach as she watched Rachel rest her head against Ginny Weasley's small shoulder. She blazed with jealousy everything inside her fuming.

She ripped her eyes away from Ginny and Rachel miserably when a bludger rocketed forward, almost knocking her off her broom. She glanced around angrily for the perpetrator and found herself eye to eye with Santana Lopez.

"Watch it Lopez" She spat, "You almost knocked me off my broom"

Santana's eyes flickered dangerously, "That's the game Fabray" She sneered, grasping ahold of her beater's bat menacingly, "Maybe you'd like a refresher course"

And she swooped up to catch a passing bludger and swung it towards Quinn.

"What the hell is your problem?" Quinn yelped as she dived to miss it, the bludger grazing the side of her elbow.

"My problem is you" Santana said, swinging her bat back again. Quinn clutched at her bleeding wound, fingering the torn material of her robes. "We used to be friends" She said, more than a little stung.

Sure, Santana had swung bludgers at her before, but they had little force behind them and were easy to dodge. Santana put up a tough front, but she would never intentionally hurt someone she cared about. Quinn supposed she didn't fit under that category anymore. Santana had abruptly ended their friendship the day Quinn and Rachel broke up. She caught a glimpse of Rachel and Ginny again and her heart clenched painfully.

"Hey!" Santana snapped, "Don't look at her like that. That's your damn fault Fabray. Not hers"

Her anger bubbling, Quinn's attention snapped back to Santana, "Why don't you mind your own business" She snarled, "You know nothing about what happened between Rachel and I"

"I know exactly what happened" Santana leered, "You broke her heart because you don't have any backbone. You're a coward. I know that much Fabray"

"I'm the coward?" Quinn seethed, "How's Britt these days Lopez?" She gestured to Brittany who was sitting happily in the Hufflepuff gallery on the lap of her Gryffindor boyfriend, Artie Abrams.

Santana's face flushed with fury but before she could respond, Quinn heard Davies' screams over the cheers of the crowd. "QUINN! THE SNITCH! GET THE SNITCH!"

A shot of gold soared past her and Quinn took charge, swooping down towards the tiny speck. Santana's words thrummed through her as she outstretched her shaking hand, taking an angry swoop. Numbly, she leaned forward and accelerated, the snitch just within her reach. She shot past whirls of blue and green before making a final dive, clasping the snitch firmly in her hand.

The Ravenclaw stand erupted with delighted cheers, the Hufflepuff's and Gryffindor's cheering along merrily. Urqhart swore loudly and kicked his broom to the side as the Slytherin stands blew up with loud 'boo's'.

Quinn lifted the snitch for all to see, whipping around to meet Davies midfield when she caught sight of a blurred bludger streaking towards her. Before she could do as much as widen her eyes the bludger hit her square in the face with a sickening crack and knocked her off her broom and into blackness.

* * *

><p>The first thing Quinn felt when she woke was agony; it was as if someone had clobbered her over the head with a… oh wait. She groaned as the events of the Quidditch match came back to her; arguing with Santana, catching the snitch… Ginny and Rachel.<p>

She supposed it was Santana who had sent the bludger hurling into her face. She moaned softly as she lifted a hand to feel the extent of the damage. Everything on her face felt fine; she guessed Madam Pomfrey had probably fixed anything broken. Too bad she couldn't do much for the bruises and pain. Wincing, she opened her eyes, meeting darkness.

The hospital wing was empty and quiet, the light in Madam Pomfrey's office switched off. It must have been late.

Her head ached again as she tried to sit and she collapsed onto the bed panting. A sudden click of the hospital wing doors had her lying rigid, tensing fearfully. The last time she had been alone in the hospital wing had been after a potion had blown up in her face in her second year. The school had been on edge as the chamber of secrets had been opened and she didn't sleep a wink, surrounded by petrified victims of Slytherin's monster, the basilisk. She had tried to be brave for Rachel, who had clung to her everywhere they went in fear of the beast, but she had been terrified.

* * *

><p>'It's not a monster' She told herself, 'Probably just Madam Pomfrey. It's not a monster'<p>

The figure came to light and Quinn stiffened. It looked like a person… a girl. But who would sneak into an empty hospital wing in the middle of the night? The figure moved towards her and Quinn strained to get a look at her face. It was definitely a girl. And she was crying.

The girl's hand brushed Quinn's arm gently, making the hair stand at the back of Quinn's neck, "Oh Quinn" The girl murmured breathily. Quinn's heart stopped. Rachel.

Quinn squeezed her eyes shut as Rachel moved closer, her heart racing. Rachel was here. But why? Her breath caught in her throat as delicate fingers grazed her forehead. She sunk into the warmth of Rachel's hand on her cheek, biting back a moan. Rachel smelled good. Familiar. Like strawberries and vanilla… and hot chocolate on a cool day.

Her body thrummed with electricity as Rachel's lips ghosted across her forehead. She tried to focus on her breathing. In. Out. In. Out.

"I'm so sorry Quinn" Rachel whispered, trailing her fingers along Quinn's jawline. Quinn's stomach flipped. In. Out. In. Out. One breath at a time.

"She shouldn't have hurt you" Rachel continued, smoothing Quinn's hair off her face. She paused suddenly and sighed, drifting her thumb over Quinn's lips.

"I'm sorry" She whispered again, "Feel better Quinn"

And she pressed a final kiss to Quinn's bruised forehead before turning and shuffling out of the hospital wing.

Quinn lay in the darkness bringing a hand to hold over her racing heart. She definitely wouldn't be getting any sleep tonight.


End file.
